As the fashion industry becomes increasingly multinational, differences in what were thought to be somewhat standardized sizes and proportions of women's dresses have become both more apparent and more troublesome. Thus, a size 8 in New York may not have a corresponding counterpart in garments shipped from Europe or Asia. There is, therefore, a need for a way to produce a standardized size such that when a buyer in New York, for example, wishes to order garments of a particular size from Asia, there will be a way to be certain that the size is consistent with what is desired.